GOP Presidential Field: A Rugby Scrum?

The Wall Street Journal, Friday, November 25, 2011

OPINION: REVIEW & OUTLOOK

TO ERR IS HUMANE

“The Rugby scum that is the GOP (Grand Old Party) Presidential field is once again zeroing in on the most pressing of all national priorities, illegal immigration. Now the candidates are beating up Newt Gingrich for saying in Tuesday night’s debate that mass deportation of illegal immigrants wouldn’t be ‘humane,” and it’s true that isn’t the right word. He should have said it would be psychotic.”

The term “scrum” has “gained increased usage in every day language” as rugby has become more popular. It is short for scrummage (according to Wikipedia.) If you have looked at the sport, a scrum looks like a pileup of players, eight players on each side pushing/ perhaps even shoving against the other side with the ball in the middle. It’s interesting that the term is used for candidates for their party’s nomination. And who, in this scrumming, will get the ball or the nomination?